


Withered Bonds

by RoseyWriter



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dadza, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Overprotective Technoblade and Wilbur, Sleepy Boys Inc - Freeform, no respawning, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27930544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyWriter/pseuds/RoseyWriter
Summary: Tommy wasn't just exiled, he had become prey. The nations were told to attack on sight.So Tommy fled.With nothing.And no one...
Comments: 11
Kudos: 181





	1. Predator to Prey

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Guys! Need your attention before we start! This is definitely going to have some darker themes and I will do my absolute best to tw anything I believe should be tw but I may miss something, not think it is bad enough for a tw, or not register it should be tw'd! If I do please inform me so I can tw it!!! The last thing I want is to accidentally upset people..
> 
> Anyway! Thank you for clicking and enjoy!

**[WARNING!] This fic starts with blood and dark themes as well as possibly triggering content so be wary as you read please!**

Tommy felt his heart stop as Tubbo raised the bow at his face, Dream smiling behind him. "Tubbo...Don't do this..." Tubbo didn't waver. "You have 5 seconds to run." Tommy took a step back, hear more people approach them. He opened his mouth to speak again when he heard the flicker of a flame behind him and more bows being drawn back. "TOMMY!" Tommy turned to see Philza. He was being held back by a teary-eyed Niki. "TOMMY RUN!!!"

Tommy didn't think anymore. He ran. He ran as he heard dream count down the seconds. He ran as he heard his dad pleading for them to just stop. He ran as he felt the flames hit his left side, burning him badly. He ran as he felt an arrow embedded itself deep within his shoulder. He didn't stop running, no matter how many times he was hit or struck by the people who pursued him like he was the best of the hunt.

By the time he stopped hearing the footsteps of horses and yelling of men he was far far away from home. His clothes were cut and torn, red overcoming the previously white parts. Tommy felt tears roll down his face but ignored them. He ignored everything as he continued onward. He told himself that the blood wasn't his own, that the piercing pain in his leg was just a cut, that the lack of movement in his arms wasn't because of the burns or arrow.

He slowed over time, letting himself wobble and limp on his less injured leg. "Why...?" He slowed to a stop as he looked up to the snow that had started to fall not too long ago. The ground had already been covered and the red droplets he left behind were sure to give him away to someone or something. "Why? Why me? Why is it always me?!" He didn't care if anyone heard him anymore. He didn't care if someone found him. He didn't care anymore.

His leg wobbled beneath him before giving out and knocking Tommy to the ground. He didn't bother to get up, letting the cold snow embrace him. He stared at the falling snow as he laid there. He didn't know why this had happened anymore, nothing seemed like it worked out for him. His eyes slowly closed, unable to stay open any longer as the cold numbed his aching body. "...I give up...I'm doomed to be alone....aren't I...." Tommy stopped trying to keep his eyes open and let himself slip into the familiar darkness.

It was quiet for a long time as Tommy laid there, the blood from his wounds seeping into the snow, turning it red as well. The sound of footsteps was the only thing to break the silence, only pausing to quicken as the owner saw Tommy's unconscious bloody figure. "Tommy!?" Tommy's eyes slightly cracked open, trying to find the source of the noise. He only saw a figure and what seemed to be a scared look. Tommy smiled slightly. He wasn't alone. At least he hoped so, he didn't want the figure to leave, they were warm. His body still hurt though, even with the cold numbness, the warmth felt better.

The figure knelt down and moved the hair out of Tommy's face, seeing his eyes partially open but unfocused. "Shit..." The person took off their cape and carefully moved Tommy, not bothering to look at the injuries in the dim lighting. "I swear...you better be fine till we get to my house, Tommy." They stood up, carefully lifting Tommy with them, and walked through the snow, leaving the reddened snow where Tommy had laid.

It was a long walk but the figure didn't stop for anything. When they arrived home they opened the door and put Tommy on the nearest place they could work on his injuries. The figure lit a lamp and turned back, their frown deepening as they saw the severity of the wounds. "What happened to you...?" They walked forward, rolling up their sleeves and starting with the arrow in his shoulder. It was partially broken off. They could only hope that the arrowhead hadn't shattered inside or it would be much more painful to remove.

The person worked for a long time, removing the arrow, applying salve to the burns and cuts, wrapping his whole body, and much more. They sighed as they finished, the sun starting to rise through the window. The only thing that had kept Tommy from bleeding out was that the largest cut had gotten badly burned what they could only guess was immediately after it was made, cauterizing the wound enough to stop the bleeding. It didn't fully close it however and definitely didn't stop it from the risk of getting infected. That was the biggest physical problem for now as long as Tommy stayed in bed to heal.

It was a few days before Tommy woke up. His eyes shot open but he didn't bolt up, unable to really move his arms. He laid there, trying to figure out where he was or what had happened. It didn't come back until he registered the amount of pain he was in. His whole body felt as if he had fallen off a cliff into a fire. Tommy tried to move but paused, realizing he still didn't know where he was. He looked around frantically as he recalled what had happened, his eyes stopping on the person he knew had helped him.

"Techno..." Techno, who had been leaning on a windowsill, looked over and seemed to relax at seeing Tommy awake. "Hello To-" "Why?" Techno blinked, confused. "Why what?" Tommy looked up at the ceiling. "Why did I try? Why did I think people cared about me?! Why did you help me!? WHY?!" Techno frowned and walked over, putting a hand on Tommy's chest to make sure he didn't attempt to get up. "Tommy, I don't know what happened but I'm sure peop-" Tommy glared at him, his eyes glinting darker than their usual blue.

"THEY THREW ME OUT AND HUNTED ME LIKE I WAS PREY TECHNO!!!" Techno's eyes widened in surprise before he took a breath to make sure he didn't get mad. "Tommy-" Tommy started to squirm under Techno's hand. "They don't care about me! Why should I care about them!? Why should I care about anything!? Humans suc-" Techno put a bit more pressure on Tommy's chest, shutting up by making him gasp from the slight pain. "Tommy." Tommy looked at Techno and untensed slightly, not planning on trying to move around anymore. Techno sighed. "Let me tell you something, Tommy. Something I wish I'd know when I was your age." Tommy quietly watched Techno.

"Humans are curious by nature. Not cruel, just curious. That curiosity however is easily manipulated. Curiosity can change into many things. Some are beautiful, others are not. It's not something they can control, but it is something they can go along with or fight. Curiosity can more than once too. Someone can go from good to bad in a matter of minutes if they hear the wrong things. But the opposite is true as well." Tommy looked away. "We're not that different...in the end then..." Techno looked at him, moving his hand from Tommy's chest to his head. "Yep."

Tommy sat there quietly before looking at Techno again. "When...How did you learn that?" Techno smiled and looked up. "Well, I know I never usually talked about the past before..." Tommy nodded. "Yeah, you and Wilbur never told me where Dad found you. You all know where I'm from..." Techno laughed as Tommy pouted. "Okay, okay." He sighed. "We're a lot more similar than you think Tommy." Tommy blinked before his eyes widened. "Wait so yo-" He was cut off thanks to trying to sit up and hurting himself again. "OW!" Techno laughed. "Don't move idiot. You're literally covered in wounds. I'm surprised you got as far as you did."

"Oh yeah..." Techno sighed. "You don't have to talk about it for now, I get the gist of it from earlier, but you aren't getting up until your healed." Tommy nodded. "I heal quickly anyway!" Techno rolled his eyes. "With cuts and burns and stuff, yes. Bones, not so much." Tommy blinked. "I broke a bone?!" Techno facepalmed. "Your leg. I'm fairly certain it was a clean break though so just don't walk and it will heal fine." Tommy groaned. "I'm gonna be stuck here for weeks!" Techno shook his head. "I'll find some stuff for you to do. And after you're healed enough I'll make you a crutch so you can move around some." Tommy perked up. "Really?" Techno rolled his eyes and nodded.

Techno and Tommy talked for the rest of the day. Not about what happened, but they talked. Tommy had been mad at Techno for leaving, but he wasn't mad at him for what he had done. Techno was hard to anger, but if you did anger him he was bound to do something crazy. Eventually, the conversation shifted to Wilbur and Techno. About what they'd done. About if Tommy hated them. Techno knew he wasn't the best brother, picking on Tommy and pushing him to try and make him stronger.

"I don't hate either of you..." Techno looked at him with slight surprise. "I...I know why you did what you did. As for Wilbur...he said somethings that hurt, but he wasn't thinking clearly. I mean, you knew that too deep down...That's why you didn't set the withers off right away right? You knew that both of us were still there..." Techno sighed. "Yeah. I don't regret releasing them though. Governments only hurt people. They're built for the leaders to thrive as everyone else works till they die, not even getting to enjoy their lives." Tommy stared at Techno. "I get it now...I really do. I always thought you were just being dramatic...but you were right." Techno looked at Tommy, patting his head. "I'm always right." Tommy rolled his eyes. "I would punch you if I could!"

The two bickered until Techno realized how late it had gotten. "Why don't you go to bed Tommy. No one other than dad knows where this house is and I doubt he'll have the chance to come for a while with everything happening." Tommy looked toward the window. "He was there when I ran..." Techno looked over to him. "When Tubbo told me I was exiled I froze, even when he aimed the crossbow at me. I couldn't do anything." He sounded so bitter, it made Techno mad. Mad that he couldn't have done more. "Then Dad yelled out at me. He told me to run. So I did." Small tears fell from Tommy's eyes. "If dad hadn't yelled..." Techno reached over and wiped the tears away. "You know dad will always be there when we really need him." Tommy nodded.

"Now go to bed. I'm going to make sure I have enough stuff to take care of your annoying ass from now on." "HEY!" Techno chuckled and stood up, leaving Tommy to yell at him. Techno paused at the entrance to the room. "Goodnight Tommy." Tommy stopped yelling and huffed. "Goodnight Techno." Techno smiled slightly. "One last thing. The lanterns tend to attract moths. I know how much you like them, and they never really bugged me so I just let them be." Tommy smiled at the idea of seeing moths. "Make sure you get some sleep though or I'm blowing out the lantern." Tommy rolled his eyes, still smiling. "Whatever." Techno shook his head and left the room, heading out to his porch.

When he got to his porch he sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. They had crossed a line when they kicked out Tommy. Tommy had always done so much for them and gotten nothing in return. He tried time and time again to prove himself, only succeeding in times of war. No one understood what he meant most other times. They didn't understand how he thought or cared. That was apparent in the way they saw the disks. Techno knew. So did Philza and Wilbur. Those disks weren't some grab at power, they were the bonds he shared with his friends and the accomplishments they had made. Each one was more important than just playing some music to Tommy. Techno lifted his head to the sky. 'Do you even care about them anymore? The disks? The bonds?'

The sky Techno looked at, was the same one that Philza was looking at from a room in the castle. He was being forced to stay within castle walls until told otherwise. Phil turned away from the window to his room. He was allowed to bring everything but his tools. Normally, that would anger someone, but Phil took this as a blessing. The journals they had allowed him had not only information on his kids, but information of much much greater powers in their world. He had found them when his children had all left for their own adventure in a place none of them would forget. It was the place his kids saw their first-ever bloodshed. A revolt.

They had lived a nice life there, one where they could do as they pleased without worry that humans would judge them for their features. It was cold, but the four managed. Techno had always felt off staying in a kingdom, and Philza couldn't deny that feeling as well, but it was their safest option at the time. Tommy was only 5 at the time and Philza thought it would be best to live somewhere with people for him. They didn't stay long in the end however. People flooded the streets one day, demanding the king come down from his throne and give them what they needed.

Phil shook his head. Now wasn't the time to remember the past. He took his journals from where they had been sitting over to the table in the room he had been staying in. It wasn't bad and almost was welcoming if it weren't for a guard to escort him outside the door and the bars on the windows. Phil didn't think the bars were necessary anyway. He had been forced to clip his wings by Dream after he had told Tommy to run. He could fix his wings at any time but left them be knowing Tommy had at least gotten away so there wasn't a need to rush and escape.

Sitting at the table, he looked through his old notes and studies. Most of the relics he had found were beyond even the comprehension of even the wisest in magic. He had traveled a lot to see if anyone knew of the things he found but most called him crazy. He eventually came here to check on his children. Which didn't end up well, with Wilbur and the withers being summoned. Phil sighed and leaned backward, seeing a familiar face above him.

"Hi, dad!" Phil smiled slightly. "Hello, Wilbur." Wilbur floated forward and looked at the books than around the room. "What are you doing here Phil? I thought you lived in L'Manberg. And where's Tommy?" Phil frowned, watching Wilbur. "No one's told you?" Wilbur looked over. "Told me what? Did Tommy go on a vacation?" He frowned when he saw his dad sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. "Is something wrong?" Phil looked out the window, trying to think of a way to put it gently. As much as he wanted Wilbur to remember himself, even the bad parts, he didn't want his memories to come back all at once. It could hurt him more than help if that happened.

"Wilbur, Tommy was...exiled." Wilbur frowned. "Why? He hasn't done anything, right?" Phil nodded. "He hasn't, but he doesn't just sit and listen to others either. I don't know where he's gone but they were shooting at him..." Wilbur paused for a moment. "Dad...Was I exiled before?" It was silent before Phil nodded. "Yes, you were..." Wilbur's eyebrows furrowed. "Oh..." He didn't think much about it after that, looking at the journals on the table. "What's this?" Phil accepted the shift in conversation. "I'm trying to find a way to help you out. It's from the empire we lived in before if you remember that." Wilbur nodded. "I remember, my memory only gets fuzzy after a certain point." Phil nodded, keeping a mental note of that.

"I want to see if there's a way to possibly help you not feel cold. Nothing seems to work though, they're either irrelevant to this problem or unable to work." He turned to a page that had a sketch of a totem on it. "This is the one that seems most useful but the totem itself is missing a gem in its eye, making it unusable. I don't doubt it's somewhere among the mess of a castle, but I can't really travel there." Wilbur looked at it as Phil leaned back in the chair, sighing. "It looks like one of the gems on Techno's crown..." Phil sat up instantly. "The crown! He took it from the castle didn't he?" Wilbur nodded, happy to be helping. "Then the gem must be one of the crowns!"

Phil was off across the room, getting a feather quill and paper, writing a note to Techno. "Wilbur, I'm going to need you to take my compass and this note to Techno." Wilbur nodded excitedly as Phil finished the note, rolling it up and sealing it with magic. "No one but Techno can break the seal now. You need to be quick." Wilbur nodded. "Where does Techno live anyway?" Phil walked over to his chair, grabbing his haori and passing it to Wilbur. "In snowy plains near some mountains, the compass points to his home, just follow it. Take that with you so Techno knows for sure it's from me though. Oh, and this one for getting back to me." He passed Wilbur another compass.

Wilbur smiled. "I wanna bring Techno something of mine too!" Philza smiled, seeing his simple excitement. "How about that old coat you wore? It had a hole in the back but I sewed it up." Wilbur nodded, heading to the window. "I'll grab my gift before leaving! Tell Fundy I said bye if you see him!" Phil chuckled, waving goodbye as Wilbur left. He watched Wil travel for a while before turning to his journals and closing them, sealing them with magic and storing them away. He turned to the door. He needed to find Fundy and make a few changes to their plan. It would be better if they left sooner than planned now.

It was early the next morning when Tommy woke up again. He tried to move some, slowly lifting himself with his arms. He only stopped and laid back down when he felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder. "Damn..." The sound of a door caught his attention. "Techno?" There were footsteps and Techno peeked into the room. "Yeah?" Tommy subconsciously relaxed seeing it was actually Techno. "Could you help me sit up?" Techno shrugged, walking over and helping Tommy sit up. "I'll bring you some food in a bit so don't try to get up and hurt your leg worse." Tommy rolled his eyes but nodded.

Tommy spent the time that Techno was getting the food prepared to look at his room better. It was small but homely, a lot like their childhood home. He smiled as he looked around, seeing old pictures of their family together. He also noticed a small record player in the back with a disk on it. He wanted to get up and play it but knew it was probably better to just wait and ask Techno. Seeing the disk made him think though. Since he had been chased out, his care for the disks slowly faded. There were a few he still liked, but he no longer really wanted them. They seemed empty to him.

The smell of food snapped Tommy out of his thoughts as Techno stood in the doorway. "Do you want me to play the disk?" Tommy looked at him. "Which song is it?" Techno set Tommy's food on his bedside before walking back to the player and starting it. "It's pigstep." Tommy's eyes widened slightly. "I gave you that! You kept it?" Techno nodded, letting the music play as he walked back and sat down in a chair nearby. "Why wouldn't I? It's was the first disk you ever got and you left it to me before you and Wilbur went off." Tommy looked from Techno to the disk, a smile on his fast. "Enough sappy stuff, eat your food or I'm taking it back." Tommy grabbed his food and stuck his tongue out at Techno who just laughed.

The two didn't talk much, just enjoying one another's presence as they listened to the music. "Hey Techno?" Techno hummed as he looked over. "Do you think dad and Wilbur are alright?" Techno shrugged. "Dad's plenty strong and smart so he'll be fine. As for Wilbur...can you even hurt a ghost?" Tommy facepalmed. "Yeah, no, you're right. That was a stupid question." Techno shook his head and stood up, grabbing the dishes. "It's good to see you can actually move at least. I was worried there may be nerve damage but I'm glad I was wrong. You shouldn't move much still. As fast as you heal, it won't do anything if you just reopen the wounds." Tommy sulked, thinking of being stuck in the bed for a long time. "I don't want to just sit here all day." Techno rolled his eyes. You're not just sitting there, you're healing."

The two spent the rest of the day talking, or more Tommy trying to convince Techno to let him get up and being denied. "Tommy. I will let you start moving around in a week if you just stop trying to do it on your own!" Tommy was taken aback by his tone and didn't respond. Techno sighed and moved to sit on the edge of Tommy's bed. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just you were so injured when I found you I wasn't even sure if you were..." He trailed off, looking away before looking back. "You need to just rest Tommy. No one's going to find you here and you don't have to rush to do anything. Everything will still be there even if you take some time to really heal." Tommy stared at him before gently touching his arm. "I'm sorry. I'll stay put I guess." Techno's eyes softened. "Thank you."

Wilbur hadn't gotten very far in his travels, realizing just how far Techno had gone to hideaway. 'Why did he go so far?' He had been traveling through forest the entire time so far and only paused to make sure he had everything. He wasn't traveling very fast to make sure he didn't lose anything and had only made it a little under half of the way in a day. If Wilbur had to guess, running the whole way would get someone pretty close but be really tiring if they had lungs. He looked up and saw the sun but was more excited by the fact he could see the snowy mountains along with the place the snow started to cover the ground.

As he floated in the dimming light a pink tint caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He slowed before turning to look at what was causing the pink. It was only a small patch of the snow that was pink but Wilbur got an eerie feeling as he moved some of it to the side, only revealing darker, redder snow beneath the handfuls he moved. Wilbur frowned, realizing what had caused the snow's discoloring. He looked for any possible signs of animals and saw none which disturbed him even more. Whatever had been there disappeared.

Wilbur shook his head, not wanting to think about it, and continued on with his things, seeing a very small trail of smoke in the distance. He wanted to speed up but didn't want to drop anything. Being a ghost was only convenient sometimes. Going through walls was fun but things slipping through his hands randomly was not. He rechecked he had all his things as he floated onwards, excited to see Techno again. He didn't have any recent memories of them together so it was like seeing him after a long trip.

Techno looked into Tommy's room, seeing he had already fallen asleep. He smiled slightly and headed towards the door. He had given Tommy some medicine, not telling him it would make him sleep and it had worked out well. He probably wouldn't remember taking the medicine either since it was clear he needed the sleep and was just too stubborn. Techno opened the door and stepped onto his porch, watching as the snow fell down slowly. He had always liked the snow since it kept most people away and was always gentle if you were kind to it. He walked down the steps and sat on the, letting the snowflakes land on himself, thinking about how to handle everything.

The fall of snowflakes was blocked by a face suddenly however, making Techno lean back in slight surprise. "Wilbur?" Wilbur smiled and moved back. "Yep! I brought gifts and a note from dad!" Techno was a little confused but took the two pieces of clothes and note, unrolling the note as he put the clothes in his lap. "What's it say?" Techno shook his head. "I'll just read it out loud." Techno glanced over it before starting to read aloud.

Dear Techno,  
You may be aware of what's happened in L'Manberg, but if you aren't...Tommy's been exiled.  
I have no idea where he could be, only that he at least escaped in time as everyone came back without anything of his.  
Along with that, I've been put under watch, hence why I sent Wil. I believe I found a way to help Wilbur though.  
One of the jewels in your crown is needed, however, I'm not sure which. If you don't want to send it then just send a note.  
I'll head to you first to get the jewel if you send a note but I need to make a plan out for now.  
Please be safe and try to find Tommy if you can.  
Love,  
Dad

Techno smiled at the letter. "Well, I've done one of the things he asked already." Wilbur tilted his head, following Techno as he stood up and walked inside, grabbing his own paper. "I found Tommy. He's upstairs asleep right now." Wilbur looked up before looking back at Techno. "You can go check on him. Take him the clothes actually, he was worried about you two earlier and they may help." Wilbur nodded and grabbed the clothes before going to Tommy's room. Techno smiled and began writing his note. He finished in time for Wilbur to come back down.

"He's so hurt..." Techno sighed and turned to Wilbur. "Yeah...he's been here for a few days now and only woke up like a day or two ago. He's able to move some but he broke his leg." Wilbur frowned. "I already told dad about what happened in this note so don't worry about explaining it, just get back quickly and don't let anyone see you with this." Techno took off his crown, handing it to Wilbur. "I know he said he would come here first, but it'd be better to head directly to help you if he's heading where I think he is. I know he'll want to see Tommy as well but I can take care of him for now." Wilbur smiled widely. "I'll make sure dad knows that!" Techno sighed. "You're going to make sure I seem sappy aren't you?" Wilbur just laughed, taking the note and floating toward the door. "Not at all~" Techno shook his head. "Just get out of here and keep an eye on dad for me, he's smart but he may not think straight when he hears about Tommy." Wilbur gave a little salute and was off, leaving Techno alone in the room again.

There was a noise from upstairs and Techno sighed, going to check on what happened. When he got up and to the entrance to the room he saw Tommy awake and sitting up straight, tears covering his face as he hugged the two jackets. Techno's eyes softened at the sight, walking in and putting a hand on his head. "Wilbur came to tell me something and left those. He was excited to know you were safe and is gonna tell dad too." Tommy looked up at him and smiled a very genuine smile for the first time in a while. "Do you think I could keep these for now...?" Techno nodded. "Sure, you'll need something warm anyway. I'll get some of my old clothes and make them more your size since yours are a little, well, trashed." Tommy looked down at himself, only just seeming to realize how destroyed his clothes were. "Oh...yeah, that'd be nice." Techno laughed some and ruffled his hair.

"Go back to bed, you weren't supposed to wake up for a few more hours." Tommy nodded before pausing. "Wait did you make me fall asleep with medicine?!" Techno shrugged and walked towards the door. "Just go to bed, I'll think of something you can do when you wake up." Tommy huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine, but don't do that again." Techno didn't respond. "And you're gonna do it again, aren't you?" Techno nodded before waving. "Night." Tommy sighed and laid back down, hugging the two pieces of clothes. They made him feel better. He may not be able to see them for a while but at least he had something from them till then.


	2. Memories of a Cold Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this as it came out, I may post another chapter later today! Take it as an apology for not posting on any of my stories for a bit :)

Tommy was fast asleep in his bed. Normally he would be up and about but Techno was relieved he was asleep. It meant he was healing. Techno had spent most of the time before Tommy had first woken up watching over him and now didn't know what to do now. He walked over to the window and sighed. Tommy was very hurt. Not just physically either. He had so much trauma that had built up but he had never asked anyone for help.

Hearing movement, Techno turned to see Tommy sitting up in his bed. He wasn't surprised he was able to move as much as he was already. He opened his mouth to speak when he noticed how tightly Tommy was holding onto Phil and Wilbur's clothing he had gotten the night before. "Tommy?" Tommy didn't hear him as he stared onward, not really focusing. Small tears started to fall and Techno frowned, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Tommy, breathe." Tommy blinked when he felt Techno wipe a tear from his face, realizing he was there. "Techno...?" Techno nodded. "Did you have a nightmare or something?" Tommy looked down at the clothes in his lap. "It's cold..."

Techno hesitated after hearing Tommy say those words. Tommy rarely got cold, he loved the cold more, and even as a kid would run around without a care for how cold it was. The only other time Tommy had said he was cold was after the first incident, as Techno called it. "Put on Wil and Dad's jackets, they'll warm you up." Tommy nodded but didn't make a move to put them on. "I can also bring you those old clothes I fixed up for you so you can get out of the rags you're in now. Give me a second and I'll help you change."

Tommy continued to be out of it even as Techno helped him get changed and checked his wounds. "Tommy. Do you want to know something?" Tommy looked over at him. "Dad and Wilbur are going to find a way to help Wil and then come here. It may take a while but they'll get here." Tommy's eyes lit up for the first time at the idea of them all being here. "Really?" Techno smiled and nodded. "Yep. I send Wilbur a message about what happened so far and told him you're safe here." Tommy froze, worrying Techno. "Tommy?" "I'm safe? Really...?" Techno pulled him gently into a hug. "I wouldn't be that good a brother if you weren't."

The two continued to talk, mainly about Phil and Wilbur. "Oh, Tommy. I'm going to start making you a crutch to get around on, no going outside with it though because you will fall and I'm not helping you if you do." Tommy nodded excitedly. "Okay, okay, whatever. I get to walk around the house!" Techno sighed but didn't bother hiding the smile that formed. He was glad that Tommy was able to stay himself even with everything that had happened.

It wasn't much later that Tommy quieted down and seemed to be thinking. "Techno..." Techno, who had just gotten them food, sat in the chair nearby. "I wonder if maybe I was part of the problem..." Before Techno could speak, Tommy continued, looking down at his hands, at his arms. "I mean, I seem to always get involved in bad things. I think I may be bad luck..." Techno shook his head. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard from you." "Hey!" Techno leaned back in his chair looking up at the ceiling. "You think you're naturally bad luck right? That's dumb. No one is or is not bad luck. You've just gotten the short end of the stick time and time again..." Techno looked at Tommy. "I mean think about it Tommy, you have always given it your all right?" Tommy nodded. "Then there's no way you caused the bad luck, if anything, it's the government's fault all this happened."

It was quiet for a while after that as Tommy thought. He knew that Techno was right deep down but something bugged him. "Techno? You've never like governments...but didn't we live in one when we were younger? I don't really remember why we left other than yelling and then silence." Techno froze, not knowing what he was supposed to say. The whole events of their time in that kingdom hadn't been spoken about. Phil was the one that had told the older two not to talk about it. "Well...we did live in one, but there was a revolt against the king, after a big mess Dad decided it would be best not to live anywhere like that again." Tommy stared at him before nodding. I don't remember it that well, but it wasn't very nice was it..." Techno shook his head. "Not at all."

The two talked before Techno left Tommy to go start making the crutches. As he made it down the stairs he couldn't help but frown. The last time he had really thought about their old home was long ago. He never would forget what happened, but he also never wanted it to happen again, and for that sake, he couldn't be the one to tell Tommy what really happened during the revolt. He could barely sleep after it had happened. All he could hear was the pleads and screams of the people. Of the royals. Of an entire kingdom being destroyed in a single day.

Phil woke up early to see Wilbur excitedly waiting in the corner holding two things. He smiled seeing him and the objects. "You made it to Techno." Wilbur nodded and handed Phil the note. "Read it out loud!" Phil laughed gently taking the crown from Wilbur and storing it away somewhere. "I will, I will. Just let me put some stuff away and tell you what happened while you were gone first." Wilbur smiled and nodded. "Ooo! Yeah!"

After Phil had left the room the guard had followed him to ensure he didn't leave the castle, which he didn't really intend to do since Fundy was inside the castle as well. He found Fundy talking to Eret and smiled slightly, waving to the two. The guard paused by the entrance, not really caring to listen in on them since they were neutral on everything that had happened. "Fundy, Eret, slight change in plans." Fundy looked over, worry written on his face. "Did something happen?" "Yes, but it's good."

He went on to inform them about the old totem and Wilbur accidentally discovering the whereabouts of the missing gem. "Oh, also Wil said to tell you bye Fundy." Fundy smiled slightly. He had been mad at Wilbur for a long time but after he talked with Eret and Phil he forgave everything he'd done, knowing he was only trying to do what he thought best. "Well, let's get to changing those plans then." The other two nodded as Fundy went over what they had originally planned, which was escaping with the help of Eret distracting some guards 'on accident'.

"So after you two get out you're either going to Techno's or two an old kingdom?" Phil nodded. "It mainly depends on whether Techno sends his crown or not." Fundy paused. "Hey, Gramps? How'd you learn about this old kingdom anyway?" Eret nodded. "I was curious as well. From what I know about it, it was destroyed all in one night and no one survived." Phil rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, that's not entirely true...we used to live there when Techno, Wilbur, and Tommy were younger." Eret was surprised but listened as Phil continued. "The events that took place aren't really gonna be found anywhere since no one would believe what happened. In all honesty, I wouldn't if I hadn't been there."

"The kingdom itself was also very corrupt in itself. They had dealt with magic that no one had discovered before, but this upset the balance, resulting in the kingdom's people suffering as the royalty thrived." Eret thought for a second. "Wait, then this totem you mentioned-" Phil nodded. "It has only one use before it seemingly disappears. From what I learned from visiting the runes of the kingdom the totem transports itself somewhere else entirely till someone finds it again and uses it, whether on accident or on purpose." "How could you use it on accident?" Phil thought about how to explain such a powerful item. "Well, the item can save its owner from death one time before it leaves, whether it be from some disaster that was going to hit them being diverted or someone using it to survive something." They didn't say much else on the subject as more guards showed up.

Wilbur smiled. "So you have a new plan?" Phil nodded, starting to open the note. "We're going to try and leave in a few days, you'll have to come along of course. I know you may not want to since you love L'Man-" Wilbur shook his head, surprising Phil. "I don't really...like...L'Manberg anymore." "Why? You made L'Manberg." Wilbur frowned and drifted towards the window. "It reminds me of the kingdom now...I never wanted it to feel like that. Plus...well, maybe you should read the letter..." Phil frowned some. "Alright." He looked down at the note, reading it out loud for Wilbur to hear as well.

To Dad,  
I was already able to do one of the things you asked. Tommy is at my house.  
Before I say anything else though, you have to head to help Wilbur first. It'd be the easiest thing, no matter how much you want to see Tommy.  
I found him in the snow surrounded by his own blood. I didn't even know if he was...alive...at first.  
He had many cuts and burns and an arrow embedded in his shoulder. I was able to fix most of it but he broke his leg.  
He woke up the other day and was quite angry, but after he calmed down some he was worried about you and Wil.  
So that's why you have to help Wilbur first. Tommy will be fine here, I'm watching him and helping him figure everything out.  
It was sad dad. He said I was right about governments. I wanted him to realize, but not like this...  
Techno

Phil's grip on the paper had tightened since he had started and Wilbur put a hand on his shoulder. "Dad..." "How did he look Wil?" Wilbur's eyes softened. "He had a lot of bandages...but he was smiling some in his sleep, so I think he'll be okay!" Phil took a breath and put the note away. "If he's fine, then we'll head to the kingdom first." Wilbur smiled excitedly. "Yay! We're going to the Antarctic Empire!" Phil laughed. "It's ruins more precisely."

The two talked a little about how soft Techno was with the youngest of them, which wasn't as surprising to them. Techno saw a lot of himself in Tommy and didn't want him to grow hateful as he had for a long time so he had always done what he could to make sure both Tommy and Wilbur didn't go through anything bad when they were kids. That didn't really work out since Techno would struggle to control his actions from time to time, but they figured it out. "Hey, dad? I just thought of a good memory from when we still lived in the kingdom." Phil tilted his head, intrigued as both boys that remembered everything had few good memories of it anymore. "It was after you had stopped Techno from accidentally hurting me when we were sparring.

Techno and Wilbur were both 17 at the time and were sparring like usual. They were in the forest behind their house since no one ever passed through. Phil was giving the two pointers but had gone to check on Tommy who was in a small pen outside so he could play in the snow without getting lost. Wilbur had finally landed a hit on Techno but it caused Techno to lose control of himself and he knocked Wilbur over, raising the sword to strike him. The swords were dull, but very much real. As he swung downward however Phil grabbed the blade of the sword. Techno continued trying to push the sword forward as Wilbur scrambled out from beneath it.

Wilbur was scared but only snapped out of his fear when he saw some of the snow turn red. "Dad! Your hand!" Phil smiled slightly as he struggled to get the blade from Techno. "I'm fine Wilbur, go make sure Tommy is alright. I heard the commotion and I wasn't that far away so he probably did too." Wilbur frowned but got up and ran to where Tommy was. Tommy was crying in the pen he was trapped in, banging on it to try and get out and towards where he knew his family was. Wilbur felt bad when he saw how freaked out Tommy was. "Hey, Tommy, it's okay..." Tommy looked up at Wilbur but shook his head pointing towards where Techno and Phil were. "You can't go over there right now buddy..."

Tommy didn't take well to Wilbur denying him however and managed to knock over one of the walls of his pen, scaring Wilbur since Tommy fell down with it. "Tommy?! Are you okay?!" Tommy blinked, not crying anymore and getting up. Wilbur realized he was walking towards the other two however and grabbed him. "No, you can't go ov-OW!" Wilbur dropped Tommy as Tommy bit his hand harshly. "YOU BIT ME?!" He blinked and realized Tommy was running away from him. "Uh oh."

Tommy found the other two with Phil holding back Techno's arms and forcing him on his knees as he tried to escape. Phil's eyes widened seeing Tommy. "Tommy, how did you get over here?" Phil was too worried about Tommy to realize that Techno had stopped thrashing about and was staring at the small kid. Wilbur ran over and grabbed Tommy. "He knocked over his pen and then bit me just to get over here!" Phil sighed but finally looked down at Techno. "Wait...Wilbur, put Tommy back down." Wilbur blinked, looking at the drops of red snow before looking back at his dad. "B-but..." "Wilbur just do it!"

Wilbur hesitated but put Tommy down. Tommy walked towards Techno, who continued to watch his every step. "Techo." Techno relaxed some and Phil let go of his arms, backing up slightly as Tommy stopped in front of Techno and put a hand on his nose. Techno was in his full pig form, making him larger than normal, but Tommy didn't care. Techno sat back on his hooves and picked up Tommy who smiled, seeing Techno wasn't angry anymore. "Techo!" Wilbur and Phil watched in slight amazement. "Hey Tommy..."

Phil smiled as Wilbur recounted the memory. "You were quite angry about that bite afterward though." Wilbur huffed. "He had little fangs I swear! My hand was bleeding almost as much as yours!" Phil laughed. "He didn't have fangs, Wilbur, he just didn't hold back because he thought we were hurt." Wilbur shrugged. "He had fangs, I know it. But I couldn't really be mad since we found a way to calm techno down." Phil nodded. "Who would have thought big scary Techno could be calmed just by seeing his baby brother." Wilbur laughed. "I'm gonna bring it up next time I see him!" "Hopefully that will be soon...and hopefully you won't get punched."


	3. Escapades and Escape!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WHOLE THING GOT DELETED ORIGINALLY AND I WAS SO SAD :'D
> 
> Also fun fact! I have a mini wood bat in my room but not a hairbrush XD
> 
> Oh, also one thing, I will more often than not refer to Eret as he more than they or she for the sake of not accidentally confusing anyone, I do refer to them outside of writing as a mix of all three(partially to annoy my parents uvu) :D
> 
> Sorry if this or the last chapter was a bit hard to read because I actually wrote both at the same time at like midnight lol

Techno looked out the window absentmindedly. It was midday and Tommy was still asleep. He wasn't worried though, he was actually relieved since him sleeping more meant he was still healing well. He turned when the noise of movement and turned to see Tommy sitting upright. He turned to talk to him when he frowned, seeing Tommy was holding tightly onto the two jackets he had received from Wilbur and Phil. "Tommy? Are you alright?" Tommy didn't respond as Techno walked over sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Tommy? Can you hear me?" Tommy stared down at his hands as tears fell down his cheeks. Techno sighed and wiped them away, gaining Tommy's attention finally. "What's wrong?"

"It's cold still..." Techno froze for a second, not sure how to respond. "Why don't you put on Dad and Wil's jackets again? They warmed you up yesterday.." Tommy smiled some. "Okay." Techno ruffled his hair before getting up. "I'll also finish your crutches today if you're good. They won't take long to finish so you can use them later today." Tommy's eyes lit up. "I can move around the house?!" Techno rolled his eyes. "As long as you don't break anything."

Techno got the crutches he had already finished making within the past few days. Tommy was excited to see them and tried to grab them but Techno held them out of his reach. "They're gonna take a bit to get used to so don't try and walk on them till I get back, I gotta grab my glasses." Tommy blinked. "You have glasses? Since when?" Techno sighed as he headed to the stairs. "Since forever. Or at least when I'm not in my full big form. I just refuse to wear them half the time." He shrugged as he left Tommy in the room.

He heard a thud as he was back up the stairs and found Tommy on the ground with an annoyed look on his face. "You tried to walk didn't you?" Tommy grumpily nodded. "And you got stuck on the floor?" Tommy huffed and crossed his arms. "Just help me up asshat!" Techno laughed and helped Tommy back onto the bed before picking up the crutches. "You didn't hurt your leg?" Tommy shook his head. "Good, if you did I wasn't letting you move around for a month." Tommy laughed nervously, knowing he wasn't joking. "Well, I'm good, so teach me how to use these!"

It took a while for Tommy to not fall over every time he tried to use them but he got there and was able to somewhat make his way across the room. Although there were many times Techno had to catch him or something else he bumped into at first. "Do you want to go downstairs? I can help you down since going down them yourself is probably too dangerous." Tommy nodded excitedly, wanting to get out of the room he'd been staying in. "Okay, come here." Techno picked Tommy up, carrying him on his back and going down the stairs, setting him down in a chair before going back for the crutches.

"How about we take a break from all the moving and eat some lunch?" Tommy nodded, looking around the room some. Techno sighed and walked over to the kitchen area. He was glad Tommy was in a good mood, but he kept thinking about earlier. Tommy was very fond of the cold, hell, they had to make him wear more clothes half the time when he was younger so he wouldn't get sick, so mentioning he was cold twice worried him. "Hey Techno, it's snowing." Techno looked over to see Tommy staring out one of the windows. "Mhm, snows a lot here, but it usually doesn't pile up too high." Tommy continued to stare out the window so Techno turned back to the food he was making.

"It kind of reminds me of that kingdom we used to live in..." Techno paused. "It does kind of have some similarities..." Tommy looked over at Techno. "I still don't really remember much of it, I know it was nice there for us for the most part though...thinking about it makes me very...upset..." Techno looked over at Tommy. "That's why we left. As much as we had fun there, it still wasn't a kind kingdom, I told you yesterday, remember." Tommy nodded, his attention drifting off to look around the room again.

Techno sighed quietly and looked down as he cooked. They had never told Tommy what really happened to the old kingdom. He didn't remember the day that it fell and Phil had told both Wilbur and Techno not to tell Tommy what happened and that he would tell him when it was a good time to. Both of the older boys didn't argue. They could both vividly remember the screams of terror followed by silence. It had kept them both up for weeks after it had happened. Neither of them could ever forget the fear and chaos they had narrowly escaped.

That was why Techno took the crown as well. He never wanted to forget. That crown was a reminder and a promise. He promised that he would never let something like that happen again. He didn't care about the people or the kingdom itself, but more about his family. More about Tommy specifically. He didn't remember it but Techno knew that if he did things would be very...different for him. He shook his head and focused on cooking. He didn't need to think about that right now.

Tommy was thrilled to be out of the room and was looking at everything he could. Techno had some plants and pictures, a lot like their old home in the forest. He smiled before noticing his old clothes in the corner. He frowned, seeing just how badly damaged they were. It hadn't really clicked until then how bad he was hurt. He had been ignoring and denying the pain, but it didn't make it go away. He looked down at his arms, seeing the bandages covering most of them. He sighed, finally letting it sink in that he was hurt...badly. He had tried to brush it off but the thing that stopped him other than the pain was how worried Techno looked whenever he moved wrong or bumped one of his cuts.

Techno was not someone that openly worries easily, but that's all he had been doing the entire time. Tommy shook his head and looked back towards his old clothes, noticing a green piece of cloth poking out. He froze seeing the green, recognizing what it was. He couldn't look away from it, memories trying to flood his mind as his cuts and burns ached all over again. His hands tightened, his nails digging into his palms.

Techno glanced at Tommy, seeing him staring and frowning before he saw what had caught his attention. Techno put down the spatula he was holding and moved in between Tommy's vision and the green bandana. "Tommy, you're safe here." Tommy looked up at him before looking down at his hands, seeing that he had accidentally caused them to bleed. Techno sighed and walked over to a drawer, grabbing bandages as well as shoving the bandana out of sight. "Let me wrap your hands, then we can eat." Tommy nodded, holding out his hands as Techno pulled the other chair closer.

"How about I give you a surprise later?" Tommy squinted slightly. "What is it?" Techno shrugged, putting the leftover bandages on the table and walking to get their food. "I don't know, it's a surprise." Tommy rolled his eyes but failed to hide his excited smile. "Sure." Techno chuckled, bring two plates of food over, putting them down. "We'll go later, so you can try moving around some more on your crutches before then." "Awesome!!" Techno laughed some. "I should probably move the breakable things out of the way though."

Meanwhile, Fundy and Phil were waiting for Wilbur. He was going to tell them when the guards were switching so they could slip out of the room unnoticed and follow the path Eret had told them. They had a very slim chance to bypass all the guards except one. The back exit guard. Eret planned to distract the guard as they snuck by and ran. They had packed all the journals and other things Phil had been permitted and only had to wait for the okay to go.

It wasn't long before Wilbur floated through the wall, smiling with a thumbs up. Fundy and Phil were quick to get out the door, heading down the hall until they came across a small stairwell that no one used. It was too far out of the way for anyone to ever care to use so it was perfect to get down to the base level without being seen. It also leads directly into a library, one that only Eret uses currently. They were going to meet Eret in there and have a brief overview of the plan before leaving to the back exit.

As they left the stairs Eret smiled, waving them over quickly. "Phil, Fundy, Wilbur. A slight change in plans, we don't have time to chat." Phil's brows furrowed. "What happened?" Eret sighed. "There's a rumor that Dream is coming to talk to you today so he could discover you're missing at any given moment." Phil held the bridge of his nose, frustrated by this development. "Why today of all days?" Eret motioned for them to walk as he told them. "Apparently a few people of L'Manberg voiced their discomfort in hunting down a child. He didn't like that obviously and ordered for those who spoke out to be captured and locked up."

Fundy frowned. "He shouldn't have the power to do that. L'Manberg is run by Tubbo." Eret nodded. "That's true, but Tubbo did nothing to stop them. The rest is just rumors but the most popular is that they avoided being captured and fled instead. I'm not even sure who they were, only one name popped up and that was Ranboo. They say it was like 5 or six people that fled." Phil clenched his fist. "Along with that, the badlands have been thrown into dismay as Dream determined they could be in an alliance or they could go to war. I'm not sure what exactly is happening involving them but I don't think they will agree if they haven't already denied it."

Phil looked at Fundy and Wilbur before looking back ahead to Eret. "We'll find them after we complete our goal." Eret smiled. "I thought you'd say that. We don't have time to talk about that for now though. Continue down the hall, I'll go this way." The three nodded before Eret separated from them, following a more open path out of the castle. Phil and the other two hurried through the hall towards the back exit, seeing Eret walking out of the building. Phil didn't like the expression on his face and was quick to find out its reason for being there.

The guard was talking to Dream. Eret was determined for his plan to work however and didn't slow his pace, putting on a fake expression as if he were just out on a stroll. He waited until he was sure the two had noticed him before purposefully catching the edge of his dress, sending him falling onto the ground. He winced slightly as he knew actually falling would work out better since Dream was there now. The guard instantly ran over, worried about their king, Dream following behind.

The three carefully walked behind the two as Eret stayed on the ground, mentioning how clumsy he was to have tripped and joking about it as the guard worried. They had almost made it to the fence when Dream held out a hand, making Eret get up. It didn't seem like a problem until the reflection of Eret's glasses gave them away. Dream whipped around after he saw them, grabbing his crossbow and loading an arrow. Phil and Fundy ran to the exit as Dream aimed at them.

The crossbow wasn't fired though as Eret tackled Dream, struggling to keep him from shooting them. Fundy, seeing this stopped. "Phil we have to help him!" Phil turned and frowned before passing Fundy his bag and running towards the two. He grabbed the sword from the guard and disarmed Dream easily, grabbing Eret and turning away. "Phil, there's more aiming at us!" Phil glanced over his shoulder, spreading his wings out as the clipped feathers were replaced with new ones. Dream frowned at the sight of the feathers, ordering them to shoot already.

As the arrows rained down, Phil flew upwards, avoiding them and getting them over the wall that had blocked them in. Fundy smiled and ran to where Phil was landing. They couldn't stay in one spot for long as the sound of footsteps and horses' were quick to follow. "Hurry!" The group fled but the noises only grew louder until they were almost fully surrounded. Phil raised the sword he had stolen when Wilbur floated down between them all, touching them and turning them transparent.

Phil looked down before looking over to Wilbur who was holding a finger to his mouth with a smile. Phil smiled and pointed towards the slim opening they had to escape through as the guards all panicked at their sudden disappearance. Once they had gotten a good bit away, Phil spread his wings out, grabbing the two who couldn't fly and soaring into the sky. Fundy and Eret were amazed as they flew into the air but Eret was quick to look at Phil. "Won't this tire you out too much Phil?!" Phil chuckled. "I've carried three kids around before, you aren't too heavy. I should be able to fly us to the mountain we need to be at." Eret frowned but nodded.

As they flew Wilbur floated above him. "Hey, Wilbur? How did you know to do that?" Wilbur floated forward some, looking down at Phil. "I'm not entirely sure! You guys were in danger and some part of me said to touch you!" Phil smiled. "Well, you really saved us. Thank you Wilbur." Wilbur smiled widely before moving more to the side and looking at Fundy. "Is it fun to be up here Fundy?" Fundy looked over to his dad and smiled some. "Yeah, it's fun."

Fundy had been adopted by Eret, but Wilbur would always be his dad. He knew that Wilbur's actions were just what he thought would be best in his twisted state of mind. He kind of understood since he had done things he regretted now that he thought were right to do at the time. Wilbur was glad when Fundy talked to him again, it had even helped Wilbur start to listen to the bad things and not only the good things.

It didn't take too long for them to reach the edge of the mountain since flying was quite the shortcut. As they landed and all got on their own two feet, Phil sat down on the ground. "You okay Gramps?" Phil smiled and nodded. "It's just been a while since I've flown, let alone flying that far." Eret and Fundy nodded, sitting down as well to let Phil rest some. "So where are we heading exactly? I know you said it would be Techno or the old fallen empire, but we never got to clarify which." Phil smiled and grabbed his bag, pulling out the crown. "We're going to that old kingdom. As much as I'd rather head to Techno's first, but time is of the essence for us."

The three rested as Wilbur floated around them, humming some melodies to calm their nerves. "Eret, you may want to change into the spare clothes I bought. As beautiful as your dress is, you will freeze if you try to walk through these mountains with that on." Eret looked down and laughed sheepishly. "You're probably right." Phil grabbed out his spare outfit and passed it to Eret. Wilbur watched the two before floating over to Fundy. "Hey Fundy, if you get cold just change into your fox form!" Fundy smiled at his dad's attempt to care for him. "I know, thank you dad." Wilbur smiled more and floated over to Phil.

"I've always wanted to ask, you're Fundy's father but you say his mother is a fish, so how did he become a fox?" Phil burst out laughing, confusing Eret even more. "Sorry, I just forget how Wilbur explains things sometimes. Sally was a shapeshifter. So is Wilbur." Eret blinked and looked towards Wilbur who poofed out some bird-like tailfeathers as well as deer antlers and ears, confusing Eret. "What animal are you?" Wilbur floated down. "A peryton! It's like a bird deer! I don't have wings though..." Wilbur slightly pouted, causing everyone to laugh.

"Anyway, when two true shapeshifters have a child that child is given the ability to shapeshift, however, the animal that the parents transform into doesn't get passed down, although the rarer the parent is the more likely the child will develop a rarer animal as well." Eret nodded some. "I've never seen a book about shapeshifters that talks about that..." Phil nodded. "True shapeshifters have a tendency to hide away in groups. It was honestly pure luck Wilbur and Sally met." Eret nodded.

"Does that mean you're a shapeshifter too?" Phil shook his head. "I'm something a little different, but similar enough to one so it isn't that incorrect to call me one. I did live with a group at some point though. That was actually when I adopted Wilbur." Wilbur smiled and nodded. "It was a nice day!" Phil nodded. Eret smiled and asked Phil more about shapeshifters, even talking as they started to travel through the mountains. Fundy and Wilbur found it nice to just listen to the two talk, letting them talk as much as they wanted.

They talked about the less known knowledge Philza had discovered among his years of traveling before they stopped at a decently sized area in the path. "We should be able to make it to the ruins of the kingdom by midafternoon if we're lucky." Eret blinked in surprise. "Really? It's usually a month's journey of traveling!" Phil laughed. "That's because everyone goes around the mountains, only a few people knew the path to take as to not get lost or caught in a snow storm. I happened to live next to one of them when we lived there so I was taught the path."

They grew silent as Phil mentioned living there again. "About that Phil, what exactly was the kingdom like? And how did you survive the empire falling in one day?" Phil paused for a moment, considering how to phrase it. "Well, to put it simply, the kingdom itself was as corrupt as it could be. The royals prospered at the cost of their citizens. They used magic that had power beyond even the strongest of mages comprehension to benefit themselves. Of course, this also meant there was a price and that price fell on the people. They revolted and on that day and...incident...occurred."

Fundy tilted his head. "So they used powerful magic and items and paid the price." Phil nodded. "They had one item, the totem I briefly mentioned, that's what we're heading there for." "The one that you said can save the life of its owner one time whether they're aware or not?" Phil nodded. "The reason it didn't work to save its last owner, the old king, was because he took the jewel out of one of its eyes to use as a jewel in his crown." Fundy was in slight shock. "So this totem is going to save Dad?" Phil nodded. "I doubt it would work if Wilbur wasn't physically here with us, but because he is I'm almost certain it will."

Eret looked over to Wilbur, who had been distracted by a butterfly. "Why is he still here? I mean, I'm glad, but it seems strange that only he is still here..." Phil looked over. "I have a theory about that actually. I believe something or _someone_ is keeping him here. I don't think either of the two have realized what has happened though." Fundy watched his dad. "Do you have an idea of who it could be that he's staying for?" Phil paused, wondering whether he should tell them he doesn't think it's Wilbur's subconscious keeping him here or not. "I think it's Tommy. Wilbur and Techno have always been overprotective of him, and for good reason." The two wanted to ask the reason but had a more immediate thought of hearing Phil talk about Tommy.

Phil turned to look at them before facepalming. "I never told you, did I? Tommy is at Techno's house." Fundy and Eret were shocked at first but smiled. "He's okay!?" Phil grimaced slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Eret. "He's alive at the very least. Techno found him in the snow...he was badly injured...Wilbur saw him, he may be able to explain it better." Wilbur looked over at hearing his name. "Tommy? He was covered in bandages. Even after a few days he still has some very very bad cuts and burns too..." Phil saw the two were slightly confused. "Ah, I should explain. Tommy isn't human either, he heals incredibly fast compared to us. Other than bones, those seem to take longer than normal instead."

The two were curious as to why but Phil remembered something, changing the topic. "I should also probably warn you though, the kingdom is in very bad condition." Eret nodded. "I would assume. There were never pictures, but quite a few books that said the place, even after some fixing, was just as bad so it was completely abandoned." Phil nodded. "Just, try not to be too surprised by its state when we see it tomorrow." The sky had gotten dark and Phil smiled, looking up at it as the others were thinking of what had been said.

"We should be able to see them soon Wilbur." Wilbur looked over before looking up and clapping his hands. "We will! I wonder if Tommy will see them too!" Phil smiled. "He might be able to if he can go outside." Fundy looked between the two. "What will we be able to see?" Phil looked over at Fundy and smiled. "You'll see fairly soon. It was one of Wilbur and Techno's favorite things when they were kids."

Tommy sat impatiently in the chair he had been grounded to since he had kept knocking things over. "Hey Techno, when are we going to that surprise? It's dark already." Techno looked over before looking out the window. "I guess we can head to the spot now." He moved over, grabbing Tommy's crutches and offering them to him. "You want to try walking in the snow or do you want me to just carry you out there?" Tommy grabbed the crutches, getting himself up. "I'll try to walk." He huffed.

As soon as he tried to walk off the small path out of Techno's home he fell face-first into the snow. Techno laughed as Tommy rolled over. "Shut it! You try walking with one leg and crutches!" Techno shook his head and laid the crutches onto the stairs of the porch before picking Tommy up and putting him on his back. "I have before, I know it's not easy, you're just too prideful to let someone help you right away." Tommy stuck his tongue out as he held onto Techno.

It didn't take long for the two to get to a small cliffside area with a good few. "What are we doing here?" Techno set him down in the snow before sitting next to him. "Just wait." Tommy tilted his head and stared at Techno for a second. "Wait for what? I wa-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he saw wonderful colors light up the sky out of the corner of the sky. He turned to look at them, stunned by them entirely.

Techno smiled at Tommy's reaction. "The northern lights. We tried to keep you up long enough to see them but you always fell asleep." Tommy nodded slightly to show he was listening but continued to stare at the lights. "You know, they're here every night." Tommy looked over at Techno. "Really?!" Techno's eyes softened. It had been a long time since he had seen Tommy this excited. "Yeah, I'll make a path out here for you so you can make it over here on your own." Tommy smiled and looked up again. "Thank you..." Techno watched Tommy before looking up at the lights as well. "You're welcome..."

The two sat in comfortable silence before Techno realized Tommy had drifted off to sleep at some point. He laughed quietly and scooped up his little brother, changing into his large form since it would be warmer and easier to carry Tommy that way. He made his way back down to his house, making sure Tommy was comfortable. "I wish Dad and Wil could have been here, but I'm sure they'll be happy to know you finally saw the lights..." Tommy mumble in his sleep and Techno smiled, entering the house and heading upstairs. He put Tommy in the bed before changing back into his more human form and heading downstairs.

He had been sleeping, when he did sleep, in one of his more comfortable chairs. He knew Tommy would be mad once he learned that he had taken up the only bed but Techno would much rather sleep in a chair than have an injured person sleep in one. He sat down and sighed. He didn't plan to sleep tonight either way. He had too much on his mind. He was thinking about the past as well as wondering what really happened the night he had found Tommy. He had given Tubbo the benefit of the doubt in that he was forced to aim at Tommy, but from Tommy's reaction to seeing the bandana, he thought differently.

He rubbed his eyes as he thought. It would be easiest to just ask Tommy to describe what happened, but he couldn't do that. Tommy was already in a worse state of mind and that was clear. He was very close to hating everything like he had when he was younger. He knew there was little chance of Tommy deciding he didn't care anymore since he still clearly cared for Techno, Wilbur, and Philza. What worried Techno was if Tommy cared for anyone else anymore...

Phil stared at the still colorful sky. Eret and Fundy had been amazed by the sky and the four had talked for a while after it had appeared. Both Eret and Fundy had fallen asleep however, leaving Phil awake as Wilbur hummed a familiar tune. "Hey Wilbur, what song are you humming?" Wilbur floated over from his spot. "The one you would sing when Techno and I didn't want to go to bed after seeing the lights. I thought it could help everyone fall asleep!" Phil smiled. "That's sweet of you. I may not have fallen asleep, but I do enjoy your humming." Wilbur smiled even more. "Yay! You should try to sleep though, I'll keep humming so you can get tired!" Phil chuckled as Wil went back to his spot, continuing his humming.

Phil did end up sleeping, not as much as he should have, but he got some sleep. The four were going to travel the rest of the way to the kingdom that day. It normally would have taken three days through the mountain but Phil's flying cut it down by about half. They woke up early, continuing on before the sun had even fully risen above the peaks. It was a mostly quiet walk as Eret and Fundy realized that the mountains were like a big maze. Both were amazed by Phil's certainty in where he walked though, continuing steadily.

It only took half the day for them to arrive at the edge of the mountain range. They could see the kingdom from there. Eret and Fundy were shocked by the sheer size of the kingdom. "To think a place this big disappeared in only a day..." Phil rubbed the back of his neck. "In a way, it was their karma...but at the same time..." Phil shook his head and spread his wings. "How about I just glide us down the mountain, it would be quicker." The other two agreed so Phil glided with Fundy and Eret down the mountain, landing on the snow where it seemed an old path once was. Wilbur floated ahead, his usual cheerfulness dulled as he looked at the ruins.

Eret and Fundy were shocked, to say the least. "I know you warned us...but this...this is crazy..." The edges of the town were in a state you would think the main point of destruction took place. "This...this is the edge of the town right? It didn't happen here did it?" Phil looked at the two and sighed. "We're quite far from where the worst of the damage is..." Wilbur looked over at Phil and frowned. "Are you blaming yourself again?" Phil looked over and smiled some. "I'm not Wil, but I know he would if he remembered..." Eret and Fundy shared a look.

"Phil...what happened here exactly?" Phil looked at them before looking to the rubble of the town. "I guess it's about time some other people learned what really happened...but you can't tell anyone the truth." Fundy and Eret nodded as Phil motioned to some rocks to sit down. They did as Wilbur floated over, ready to chime in if needed at any point. "It's quite difficult to explain, not just because of how it happened, but because of why...So it may be best to start at the beginning..."


End file.
